Dark and Light
by YarningChick
Summary: Start with two brothers, as different as day and night. Add two beautiful witches, stir in a corrupt Cat King, sprinkle with mice and angry villagers. Shake vigorously, and serve fresh.
1. Two Brothers

Extra

For the record; this story was made with a Brothers Grimm fairy tale in mind, but once again, I went far off-track. I hope everyone will forgive me, that people can figure out which fairy tale it is before I come out and say it, and that most of all, that everyone will enjoy this story. Go crazy (like you needed my permission, right?).

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Chapter One: Two Brothers

As far back as Baron could remember, everything had always been about his brother. Duke was only three minutes older than him, but everyone acted like it was three years instead. Their parents were thrilled, of course, to have two such brilliant sons, but they doubtlessly favored the elder over the younger. Duke was a natural at everything he touched, while Baron was often behind books for hours, trying desperately to catch up.

They were as different as day and night. Duke was doubtlessly a night, with his blue-black hair and cool sapphire eyes. He could make countless friends with ease, while Baron chose to have a small group of closer friends, ones that understood when he needed to be alone. He was equally doubtlessly a day, with his dark golden hair and soft green eyes. He was always gently serious, while Duke usually walked around with an easy smile on his face. They both usually chose to wear a crisp suit, although Duke liked black to dark gray ones, and his brother preferred white to light gray ones.

But, as hard as Duke could try, there were two things that he could not surpass Baron at. Through years of hard study, Baron had become the best swordsman in the kingdom. And the ones surrounding it. Actually, he was the best in about half the continent. It was not unusual for a fighter to appear at the family castle, requesting the honor of a duel. Baron always won, but he was sure to never let his victories go to his head; as he was certain that pride would lead to a speedy downfall.

The other thing, besides more patience with thicker books, was his personal blend of tea. He commonly told people that it was a little different each time, and although that was the truth, it wasn't the whole truth. For you see; he had found a special blending of herbs that could tell the character of the one drinking the tea. If the taste was terrible, then so was the person. And because people usually changed a bit between having his special blend, the taste was always a little different.

Everything else, however, was dominated by Duke. Any girl that might look Baron's way immediately became entranced by his brother's mysterious aura, often ending with Duke surrounded by lovely young ladies and Baron chatting it up with older people, trying to ignore the pain in his heart. He knew Duke wasn't bad at heart; he had drunk enough of Baron's tea to prove that, but…

Just once, he would like to meet a young lady that he would want to be with, one that could resist Duke's aura. Maybe even a girl he could spend the rest of his life with, and do so happily.

But as he left his teenage-hood behind, and moved into his twenties, he tried to quell the pit in his heart, knowing that he probably wouldn't have a chance at finding a bride until his brother did, and his brother was having far too much fun being a bachelor.

One day, when Baron and Duke were twenty-five, his father called the lighter twin into his study. The tawny-haired man looked at his dark father, who his brother physically took after. The man sighed, and closed the book he was going over.

"Son… I've noticed that you've been smiling less than usual."

Baron cocked his head, not bothering to deny it.

"Is it because your personal life hasn't picked up yet?"

His son sighed.

"That's partially it, but not entirely. I wish to go traveling, maybe find a place of my own."

His father grinned, having guessed something like that. He shuffled some papers aside.

"Perhaps I can help with that. Do you remember your third uncle, once removed?"

Baron thought a second.

"Uncle Ramos?"

"That's the one. His estate fell to your mother after his death, as she was his closest relative. But your mother…" he paused, remembering her sadly. "I'm certain she wouldn't mind if it went to you instead of your brother. He's already inheriting the family lands, and Ramos' estate is more suited to you, I think." He passed over a thick folder.

Baron opened it carefully, looking over the boundaries and manor house notes. He tilted his head, thinking about it.

He loved his brother and father dearly, but perhaps it would be best for all of them to have a little time away from each other.

And… maybe… there was a special girl on Uncle Ramos' old estate. Waiting for him.

He tried hard not to let anyone find out that he was a romantic.

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Baron carefully looked over his notes, checking to make sure that all of his boxes were present. He smiled warmly; each one was accounted for. He thanked the company for hauling his things, and gave them a good tip on top of their fee. The head freighter bowed respectfully, a grin on his face. He waved at the freighters once more before turning to his new home.

Sure, if he wanted, he could have brought some servants from his father's estate, but Baron had always been one to get personally involved with what happened. Duke was more of the type to sit on a couch and issue orders.

Wrinkling his nose a bit, he decided to clean house before unpacking anything that he wouldn't immediately need.

Just when he finished sweeping the first floor of the manor, he heard the knocker getting banged on. Puzzled, he set the broom aside and walked toward the door to answer it.

A sharply dressed middle-aged man was on the step.

"You, servant, get the new lord."

Baron cracked his knuckles with displeasure. Stepping from his home, he towered over the man, albeit by only a few inches. The blonde's voice was controlled, and cold with anger.

"I am servant to no one. I am the new lord."

Recognizing the posture and tone of a noble underneath the dusty clothes, the man quivered, and bowed.

"Forgive me, my lord; you don't catch too many nobles cleaning their own homes."

Deciding to let the offense slide, Baron allowed the man into his home.

"Is there anything in particular you wished from me?"

"Yes. I sent in a request for help, but you came here first. I'm Mayor Tikal, and I'm afraid we have a pretty big problem, in our province."

Baron's hands froze, an inch away from the dusting rag. His number one weakness, the one his brother never stopped teasing him for, was someone with a problem. He whirled around to face the mayor again.

"What's the problem?"

The man shifted nervously.

"Tell me, my lord; have you ever heard of the Cat Kingdom?"


	2. Two Sisters

Extra

Chapter Two: Two Sisters

The mayor sipped at the tea, lingering over it a second.

"Unique blend, my lord."

Baron nodded, taking a sip. Excellent, as usual.

"I _have_ heard of the Cat Kingdom, in my studies. What's the particular problem?"

The mayor sighed tiredly, setting his teacup down on the table.

"Well, we're kind of under siege. One of our better witches caught the eye of the Cat King, but she's made it plain to anyone within three miles of her that she doesn't want anything to do with him. The Cat King's been swamping her house with mice and cat tails. He thinks that it's flirting, but she hates mice with a passion, and she's allergic to cat tails, so it just makes her hate him more. The mice eventually reach town, and although she does her best to keep the problem out of everyone else's business, something has to be done, and soon. She's already been forced to move away by herself, away from her family so they don't get caught in the squabble." The mayor leaned in over the table separating him from the lord, like an old gossip.

"Frankly, the girl gives me the creeps, and I don't understand why the Cat King wants her so badly. I don't care if she agrees to marry him or not, but is there anything you can do? The townspeople are starting to talk about taking drastic measures against the girl, ones that even _I_ know she doesn't deserve."

Baron put aside his favorite teacup, and rested his chin on his knuckles.

"It would be a bad idea for me to take any action, at least if I don't get her side of the story first. She sounds like a headstrong woman."

The mayor laughed.

"That's an understatement. Last time I met a human with that much stubbornness, it was her father. He disappeared years ago."

"What's the girl's name?"

The mayor gave a light shudder.

"Haru Moon. Her family calls her Snow, though I have no clue why."

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"Snow! Snow!"

Haru opened her eyes regretfully, the sweet dream fading. She turned over enough to see the seething mass covering the floor of her hut. Shuddering, she waved her hand, getting the mice to suddenly freeze, and disappear. She waved her hand again to get rid of their fragrant little brown presents.

"Right here, Rose! Just getting rid of the usual." Eventually, the sturdy wooden floor was clear, and the lovely young woman stepped down from her hammock, which had replaced her bed, since it was harder for mice to cuddle up next to her. Sighing, she unbolted the door to see her twin sister. Hiromi.

She threw her arms around her big sister's neck.

"I really need your help! Tsuge's father wants me to make his soil more fertile, in preparation for spring. The money's good, and I'll split it with you if you help."

Haru smiled warmly, not being able to deny her little sister much. She snapped her fingers, getting her nightgown to shift into a modest navy blue gown.

"Let's go. I haven't seen you in a week."

Hiromi flushed, and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Well, with the cat business, I thought you were busy enough."

"I'm never too busy for family." She hugged her sister once more, snapping her fingers to make a basket fly to her from its hook on the wall. "I have some things to get in town, anyway." She placed a few choice herbs and essentials in the basket before walking down the path with the redhead.

"How's Mother?"

Hiromi sighed.

"Worrying about you, as usual. I think she wants you to marry the Cat King, just to end all of this fuss."

Haru stiffened, her eyes contracting in anger.

"You know I will never do that. I'll commit suicide first. Come on, Rose, you've _met_ him! Do you really think I'd bind myself to that old pervert?!"

Hiromi cringed at the vocal volume.

"No. And if he did manage to make you his bride, you would probably spend the rest of your life making him wish he was never born."

"Absolutely," Haru fumed, taking faster and longer strides, forcing Hiromi to run in order to keep up. _'I'll never forgive him for what he did to Father.'_

Mr. Hagashi looked up, his smile fading at seeing two witches instead of one. He nearly growled.

"Hiromi, I thought I said I wanted _you_ to do it. Did I mention your sister by mistake?"

The redhead stood her ground.

"My sister has more experience at the spell you want, and I won't do it without her. The price is the same we agreed upon."

The man fumed, but didn't put up more of an argument. Haru sighed, knowing why he was acting the way he did. But she was placing the mice in a different location now, one that wouldn't harm anybody. She reached inside her basket, and handed one sprig of yarrow to her little sister, who took it nervously.

"Forget your nerves, Rose. We need to be in sync with each other." Taking a second sprig, she set her basket down, on the far side of her half of the field, as Hiromi took the side closer to the Hagashi cabin. Closing their eyes, they called upon the bond that had been between them since their birth.

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"The Sun and Moon twins? Sure, I saw them go by just now. To the Hagashi place."

The mayor bowed before the candle maker, the now clean-suited lord tipping his silk hat at the man before moving on.

"The girl's a twin?" Baron asked, remembering his own.

"Yeah, the older one and she's the better witch. But her sister's the nice one."

Baron's heart was pained, but he struggled not to let it show.

'_Careful. Don't make any judgments on her until you meet her. Is she dark or light?'_

The mayor approached a stocky man, and tapped his shoulder. He looked away from the corner of his home, and the scowl softened.

"Ah, mayor," he said, glancing at Baron. "Is this the new lord?"

The tawny haired man tipped his hat again.

"Pray, where would I find Miss Moon?"

The farmer jabbed a thumb around the corner, towards the fields. His scowl returned, obviously one of the people the girl should be worried about. Baron stepped around the corner, and stopped short. His eyes grew bigger.

Two girls, obviously twins, were dancing. They were working their way closer to the center of the large field, sprigs of yarrow in their right hands. Wherever they stepped, a touch of light remained on the spot. Once sister, the one closer to the house, was a light redhead. She had a bit of a cheeky grin, her slightly red face starting to sweat. She was in a light blue dress that seemed to be more getting in the way of her legs than helping.

The other sister, the one farther away, was a little harder to get a good look at. She was obviously a brunette, and wearing a darker navy dress. But unlike her sister, the dark one was having no problem at all. Her dress seemed to move with her, flaring at just the right degree.

Baron's mind shuddered, remembering how flawlessly his brother had learned to dance. She appeared to be a dark just like her brother. He turned to the two men behind him.

"Which one's Miss Moon?"

They rolled their eyes at him.

"The dark one. She kept her birth father's name. Her sister's name is Hiromi Sun, since she really liked her mother's maiden name. That's why they're called the Sun and Moon twins."

Baron nodded, and looked at the brunette again. He prayed that she would be open to his assistance. But, she reminded him a little too much of his _perfect_ brother. He would keep their acquaintance short.


	3. The Lord

Extra

Chapter Three: The Lord

Haru and Hiromi made it to their destinations in the middle of the field, making all the light seeds they left give off a big spark, and to start dusting the cold hard earth. Hiromi collapsed to the ground, gasping from the terrible exertion. Haru immediately kneeled down at the redhead's side; smiling a bit.

"You did much better, this time."

Her sister grinned at the praise, but was too breathless to say anything. Sighing a bit, the dark twin pulled one of her sister's arms across her shoulders in order to carry her sister piggy-back style. The redhead giggled tiredly, wrapping her arms around Haru's neck as the elder twin called the wicker basket to her. Hiromi grabbed it as it came flying, since the brunette's arms were full. The dark girl managed to get to her feet, and walked back to the house. She was a bit surprised to see the mayor there with a stranger she had never seen, but kept her cool. Reaching the trio, she bowed as much as she dared to the farmer without falling over.

"My sister and I have done the work."

He grunted at her, but put the money in the wicker basket Hiromi held out to him, her eyes sleepy.

"Told ya I couldn't do it without my dark half."

Haru rolled her eyes at the old joke, and bowed carefully to the mayor and stranger.

"I'll get out of your way, Mayor."

The politician shook his head, suddenly getting on edge, like he always did around her.

"Actually, I-we-um… This is the new lord, Baron von Gikkingen."

She looked at him, noting the city hat. He was handsome, she had to give him that, but she didn't care about that kind of thing anymore. In fact, she hadn't cared about such an unimportant fact in years. She bowed again to the lord.

"Nice to meet you, my lord; I'm Haru Moon, and my sister's Hiromi Sun. Was there something you needed from us?"

He blinked, clearly surprised.

"I heard from the mayor that _you_ were the one with the problem."

Her eyes sharpened.

"If you're talking about the cat thing, I've got it under control."

He quirked his eyebrow at her.

"That's not what the mayor told me."

Her arms stiffened, and her eyes turned angrily at the man, who took a few steps back in fear. She couldn't help but worry, with such a mouse-like man in such a powerful position.

"Perhaps _the_ _mayor_ isn't aware of the whole picture. Besides, what could you do, my lord? Are you experienced at making guys like the Cat King forget about girls like me?"

The tawny haired man was staring at her, like she was speaking a different language. She took his silence as a no. Hiromi started nudging her shoulder.

"Come on, Snow; he might be able to help."

"I don't _need_ help, Rose." The girl growled before bowing again to the lord. "Look, I appreciate the concern and all, but I'm taking care of it. The king will give up inside of a month." She started back up the path, to her mother's house. Baron watched her go, stunned as the farmer and mayor started chuckling darkly.

"She's been saying that for the past five months. Told you, my lord; stubborn beyond reason."

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"Did you have to attack him like that, Snow? He was just trying to help, and he's cute, too."

Haru looked at her sister suspiciously.

"I thought you had your eye on Tsuge."

"I do, but you have to admit the guy was cute."

The brunette rolled her eyes tiredly as she navigated the upward slope.

"Sure, he's cute. He's probably city-softened too, with that outfit. Besides, I really do have the cat thing figured out now. A few more hexes, and he will suddenly forget that I exist."

Hiromi growled tiredly.

"You said that twenty hexes ago. Just go apologize to Lord Gikkingen and say-"

"Hiromi! I have it under control!" She only used her sister's real name when she got really irritated, so her sister kept her mouth shut.

When their mother's home appeared in sight, Haru sighed.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, but I don't need Lord Gikkingen's help. I'll be fine."

Hiromi shuffled around on her back, but didn't say anything. They passed the stone gate, with the twin bushes that flanked the entrance. The rosebushes that were the reason for their strange nicknames.

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Haru kissed her mother's cheek one more time before heading out the door, Hiromi now sleeping peacefully in the bed they used to share.

"Love you."

"Love you too. Snow; promise me the cat mess will be finished soon."

Haru's heart ached at her mother's tired tone, but kissed her cheek again.

"This _will_ be over soon, even if I have to send the Cat King back to his son in pieces."

Her mother sighed tiredly as the young brunette made her way out the door.

'_She truly is her father's daughter.'_

Haru sighed tiredly, readjusting her hold on the basket. She'd not gotten the chance to buy what she wanted, but deemed it to be a bit late to return to town for the items. Besides, she wasn't blind to how the other villagers had been acting around her. She wasn't very popular before the cat mess, but now-

A tall figure jumped from behind the stone wall. Haru screamed in fright, using one hand to send a paralyzing spell at the attacker. It hit him square on the chest, making him fall to the earth like a solid statue that had been tipped over. His top hat had fallen off his head, making her angrier than ever as her mother opened the door in a fright.

"Haru, what happened?!"

The brunette growled while sitting up from her landing, turning to answer the woman.

"The new lord decided to scare the daylights out of me! All's cool!" She leaned over, and rubbed his back with the counter spell. "If you _ever_ scare me like that again, I'll turn your hair as green as your eyes!"

The lord loosened, and rolled to his feet, his eyes wide and impressed as he stretched his limbs and brushed off his suit with a handkerchief as she stood up and gave one hand brush to her skirt.

"I'll try to announce my presence in a less startling way in the future."

"You'd better," she growled again, handing him the top hat. "I thought everyone knew never to sneak up on a witch, especially one that's already on edge."

He laughed nervously as he returned the hat to its proper perch.

"Sorry; I have naturally silent feet. I didn't realize that… well. I apologize." He gave a gentlemanly bow. She sighed gruffly.

"Apology accepted. What were you doing, stalking me? I'm still trying to get rid of my first stalker."

He shook his head firmly.

"I'm not stalking, exactly. I'm hoping you'll reconsider my offer of assistance."


	4. Snow's Story

Extra

Chapter Four: Snow's Story

She stared at him, still thinking that he was a stalker.

"I thought I made it clear that I don't need your help."

"I'm hearing a different story from everyone else, including your sister. I can be pretty stubborn too, and this is a problem that needs to be fixed before everyone down there decides to fix it." He gestured down the hill, towards the village. "You're not a very popular person right now."

The brunette laughed harshly, turning up the hill as he started walking beside her.

"I never was. I'm too serious for their liking." She looked at him. "I'm not getting rid of you until I accept your help, am I?"

He shook his head firmly. It was his duty to care for his new people, and he had no inclination of disappointing them so soon. Haru sighed tiredly.

"All right; I'll cut to the chase. What do you know about my problem?"

"That the Cat King is trying to court you, you aren't cooperating, and the feud's disturbing everyone in the area. Could you please tell me why he became so interested in you specifically?" He hadn't meant for it to sound like an insult, but a fire burned in her dark eyes shortly before answering.

"I saved his son's life. He had dropped by the town square to pick up a gift for a girlfriend. A wagon nearly ran him over, but I spelled him into my arms; safe out of harm's way. He thanked me politely, and left. That night, the Cat King comes by my place and tries to talk about repayment." She looked at him sharply.

"I have a strong policy about accepting payment for a life. If it's something people can see coming, and they ask me to help before I do it, then I accept payment. If they can't pay, I try to work out a different arrangement that works for both sides. If a kid falls into the river or something quick like that, the only payment I need is a 'thank you'. You can't put a price on lives, so I don't. I don't need a lot, and I feel better when I don't get something physical for my efforts."

The dark blonde man looked at her, obviously impressed.

"It takes a good strong person to do that."

She wasn't expecting the compliment, but brushed it off.

"It was the last thing the Cat King was expecting. After that, he kept coming by, asking if I was sure that I didn't need anything, and I kept turning him down, telling him that the only thing he could do for me was leave me alone. He decided that he liked my attitude and offered me his son's paw in marriage. I don't interspecies, and Prince Lune already had a bride in mind. Yuki's a sweet cat, and is perfect for him. The Cat King wasn't happy about his son's choice, but let him marry his girlfriend. After that, he started harassing me to marry _him_ instead," she said with a shudder.

"I can barely stand his presence, and have told him plenty of times to beat it. I've hexed him… I don't even remember how many times, but _he just won't leave me alone_!" She suddenly slammed her fist into a tree, getting it to shudder terribly. "I wish he'd just take a hint, and never approach me again!"

Her companion handed her his handkerchief, getting her to look at him strange. She looked down, noticing that she had scraped her knuckles badly on the tree. Baron shook his head angrily as he gently wrapped and tied the offering around her hand.

"If I had known something like this was happening, I'd have asked to come here sooner. When does he usually approach you personally?"

She sighed.

"Since I started hexing him, he tries to keep his visits in as random a pattern as possible, so I have less time to think of a new and interesting thing to do to him."

He growled, wondering who else had tried to listen to her before deciding she was public enemy #1.

"When did he last approach you?"

"Last night. He went home as a sticky mess, since I doused him in syrup. All sorts of insects started swarming over him."

The green-eyed man looked at her, and started laughing. It wasn't the polite kind either; it was full-belly laughter. She blinked, since the brunette usually couldn't even get people outside her family to smile at her without magic. Then again, he was the first person she described a hex to.

The lord regained control of himself, his eyes tearing slightly.

"_Syrup_? Where did you get the idea for that?"

"I was thinking about making pancakes for breakfast this morning, and he hates getting dirty. He's a longhair too, so his fur absorbs a lot." She finally smiled a little, the first one the new lord had seen on her. He chuckled again, shaking his head at her.

"I can't believe I could ever think, even for a second, that you were like my brother!"

She raised one eyebrow at him.

"You have a brother?"

"Yes, my twin. That was partially what was so disturbing about you and yours." He shook his head again. "He's dark and great at everything, so I kind of get pushed aside a lot."

She smiled sympathetically.

"I work like a dog on my craft, but everyone likes Rose better, because she smiles more. I'm better at magic and cooking, but she dominates everything else."

"I can understand that. I'm better at swordplay, studying, and my tea blend. Everything else belongs to Duke."

She looked deeper into his eyes, and gave a bigger smile.

"It bites, being in second place no matter what you do."

He smiled back, thrilled to have found someone that completely understood his feelings.

"It does. That's mostly why I came here; so I wouldn't have to live in his shadow anymore. I love him dearly-"

"-but you want to break away, and do your own thing without having everyone compare you to your twin," she finished, clearly feeling that way herself. Baron nodded again, smiling brightly at her.

They stood there for a few seconds before continuing up the path.

"Just out of curiosity; why do you and your sister have such unusual nicknames for each other?"

She smiled again.

"Remember the two rosebushes outside my mother's gate?"

He nodded.

"Well, Mother planted them when she was pregnant with my sister and me. When we were born, we reminded Mother a lot of her two rosebushes. I'm Snow White because of my skin, and Hiromi's Rose Red because of her hair. A bit silly, I guess, but it works for us."


	5. The Cat King's Displeasure

Extra

Chapter Five: The Cat King's Displeasure

"Oh, my my my my my," a brown cat muttered to himself, watching the two humans walk past the bush he was hiding under. "This is very upsetting. The king's not going to be happy when he hears about this."

He whispered an incantation to get a cat portal to appear, so he could report to his monarch.

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"Father, _please_! Enough is enough!"

A longhair looked between all the towels drying him off from his bath, in order to look at his son.

"No, Lune. When you're king, you'll understand that whatever you want, you get. If I let Haru slip between my paws, I'll never be able to live it down."

"Father, everyone would understand completely! Haru's a sweet girl, but no one makes a decision for her, except maybe her mother."

The king jumped out of his seat, making the towel attendants cry out with surprise.

"Brilliant, Lune! I'll go to her mother instead, and ask for permission to marry her daughter. She won't have a good reason to turn me down, especially if I give a generous bride price!"

Lune shook his head.

"Even if her mother agreed, Haru wouldn't. She'd run away or kill herself. Father, it doesn't matter; just forget about Haru. If you must get married, pick a nice cat."

"Like you did?" the king growled, easing himself back into his easy chair. "You may be willing to settle for less, but I'm not. I _will_ have Haru for a bride, and that's final!"

"I did _not_ settle for less!" Lune yelled indignantly. "Yuki's a wonderful cat; so what if she used to be a servant?!"

"I will not tolerate that tone in my castle, young tom," the king said dangerously, rising from his seat again. Natoru burst in from the red curtain, panting heavily.

"Sire… I bring… news."

The cat looked over at his lackey, pleased.

"She's wearing down?"

"Not exactly. She's being escorted to her home by the new landlord." The brown cat looked down, saying the next part in a rush. "He made her smile five times in less than two minutes. I counted."

The king pounced on the lackey, his large eyes ablaze.

"What?! What does he look like?!"

Natoru struggled to breathe; His Majesty outweighing him with ease.

"Gold hair… green eyes… fairly young… about a head taller than her… Miss Haru agreed with her sister when she said he was 'cute'."

The king howled with displeasure, getting off the lackey so he could breathe again.

Not once. The Cat King hasn't seen Haru smile once, since that night, nearly a year ago. Lune had seen it, as had his bride. Why wouldn't she show her true smile to him? She was a babe without smiling, but he knew her smile had to be dazzling, if she favored so few people with it.

He knew Haru brought up physical appearances very reluctantly, so a 'cute' from her was worth a 'drop-dead gorgeous' from someone else. He growled, wondering how a landlord could appear out of nowhere and gain something as precious as Haru's smile. Repeatedly, if once wasn't enough of an insult.

He growled terribly.

"This landlord needs to know that Haru's spoken for."

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Baron whistled cheerfully as he walked back to his new manor, a definite bounce in his step.

'_No one mentioned that she was such a wonderful and fetching young lady! Well, although I do fault the Cat King for his determination, I can't blame his reasoning in the least. I think I may wish to lengthen our acquaintance a bit more than I was originally planning on.'_

He grinned, unlocking the side door to his home so he wouldn't mess up the front floor again. He locked the door behind him, and started checking through the boxes, to find his sword cabinet. He had to think hard on which one would be the most fitting.

'_Firefly's good in a pinch, but I've always admired the clean cuts my Viper makes.' _He smiled, remembering how his brother used to tease him for naming all of his swords. But Baron didn't mind as much now as he did when his brother was right next to him. As he sorted through his sword cabinet, Haru's voice crept back into his mind.

"_I've been thinking about following your example, and starting somewhere new. Somewhere that could use a good witch, and not hold my personality against me."_

"_What, and leave a fight unfinished?" he countered._

"_Notice I didn't say before or after the Cat King's taken down. You said you're good with swords?"_

He chuckled warmly, remembering how her chocolate eyes lit up. He couldn't see why everyone thought she was so grim.

Suddenly, he noticed a package on the table he had polished earlier. He came up to it, and looked at the label.

There was no return address, and it was addressed simply to 'the new Landlord'.

Now, Baron had always had a slightly curious nature, and he was dying to find out what was in the package. His hand reached forward to cut the string, but suddenly stopped. Something didn't feel right.

Biting his lip a bit, he did the only thing he could think of to do. He tucked the package under one arm, and headed back to Haru's.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Now Chicky; remember what I've told you about boys."

She rolled her eyes at the slim cream-colored cat on the windowsill, as he watched her make dinner.

"Yes, Father; _they are evil little tricksters that will stop at nothing to get what they want. I know; I used to be one."_

The cat growled at her.

"Did you have to imitate my voice?"

She smiled lovingly at him, and reached over with one hand to scratch his brown ear. He purred gruffly.

"Of course I did. That's half of the fun. Besides, the new landlord isn't so bad, when you get to know him. And with Toto gone until spring, it's nice having someone else to talk to. But I wouldn't replace you for anything."

The cat growled at her affectionately, before his other ear suddenly perked up. The grin faded from his face.

"Someone's coming. Not the king, but whoever it is, he's coming in fast."

She left off scratching his ear to look out the window. Baron was coming up the path; a slightly worried expression on his face. Seeing what was in one arm, her heart stopped. She unbolted the door in a flash, and ran out of her house to call out to the blonde.

"Baron! Drop what you're holding, and get away from it now!"

He immediately did as directed, tossing the package slightly down the hill while still approaching her. She had to admit; she was impressed that he had obeyed her so quickly. The young landlord jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the package while still walking towards her home; his expression worried.

"Do you know what that package is, Haru? I found it in my home, although I had locked every door."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him farther away from the package; her eyes glittering dangerously.

"You can lock all the doors you want, but that can't stop the Cat King or his minions." She breathed a little shakily. "You were smart to come here so quickly. If you had opened that package, you would have met the same fate as my father."

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What happened to your father?"

"See for yourself."

Not recognizing the gruff voice, Baron looked over his shoulder to the brunette's home, a little surprised to see a thin cat standing on his hind feet in the doorway. His eyes also glittered dangerously, but he wasn't looking at the parcel.

He was looking at their intertwined arms.


	6. The Unbreakable Curse

Extra

Chapter Six: The Unbreakable Curse

The blonde turned to the girl with surprise.

"I was told your father disappeared, not changed into a cat."

She rolled her eyes.

"Not everyone knows who he really is; only you and my family do. Father, this is Baron von Gikkingen. Baron, that's Renaldo Moon, my father. But he likes being called Muta better, by other people." She let go of his arm, and leaned down a bit; her eyes locked on the brown package down below. "It's ready to go off soon. If it isn't opened in a certain amount of time, it explodes and changes the closest person into a cat."

Muta gave an irritated growl.

"I'll open it. One can only change into a cat once." He got down on all four feet and ran down to the package. Sniffing it once, he pulled an ugly face while extending a claw to the cord around the package, and cut it.

The package immediately flared, the brown paper unwrapping itself. A blue light came at the large cat, and encased his body for a minute. Not satisfied, the light threw Muta to the ground, and rushed at the two humans.

Baron's gentlemanly instincts made him grab Haru and use his own body to shield her from the majority light's wrath, since she had been a little in front of him. However, the light still managed to encase both of their bodies, making them scream in unison as their bodies began to shift to that of a cat's. But, halfway through the transformation, it suddenly stopped.

Baron and Haru fell to their knees, gasping for breath and clinging to each other for balance. The brunette raised her head slightly, stunned to see a cat's version of Baron's head looking back at her. He looked at her in shock; noting that her eyes were still rounded, and she had longer head fur resembling that of a human. He guessed that he had a few more feline attributes, for taking more of the light than her. From the seat of his pants, he could feel a tail swaying slightly. Muta ran up to them and gaped.

"It must have been a one-person dosage, for both of you to be half-cat."

Haru unsteadily rose to her feet as Baron did the same, looking at her newly padded hands.

"I'm going to kill him. I swear this is the last straw!"

Baron grabbed her shoulder before she could run back inside her home.

"I thought we agreed that _I'd_ have the pleasure of taking care of him!"

"That was before I grew whiskers! The transformation's permanent, which is why Mother and I haven't been able to fix Father yet!" she yelled in frustration, before suddenly pausing. "What if we share him?"

Baron growled, a little surprised at how easily and loudly it now passed through his throat.

"Yes, we'll share him. I wish I thought to bring one of my swords up with me."

Muta looked at him with interest.

"You have a sword?"

"Several, and more importantly, I'm not afraid to use them."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Naoko sipped at her tea nervously, looking at her daughter and the new landlord. Hiromi had just woken up from her nap, and was staring at her twin with amazement. Haru sighed.

"I knew it was a bad idea to accept help. The Cat King probably sent him the 'kitty surprise' for offering to help me."

"It's not your fault, it's _that cat's_," Baron growled, cursing the old monarch. There was no telling how his family would react, let alone the rest of the populace now under his command. "Is there a way to draw him out?"

Haru growled disdainfully.

"None that I'm willing to do."

Hiromi stopped rocking herself in her chair and suddenly bolted towards her sister. She started feeling Haru's velvety ears.

"I'm sorry, I just can't resist!" the lighter twin said in a panicked voice, still rubbing the velvety ears. The brunette tried to growl, but a cloud appeared over her eyes, and she smiled a bit.

"Could you scratch my ear, as long as you're going to be playing with my head?"

Hiromi did so, giggling as her sister started to purr. Baron fought the urge to laugh, but a snigger still managed to worm its way from his throat.

Haru shot him a glare that would have been considered lethal if there hadn't been quite so much amusement in it. Before he could react, her hand shot out and began scratching behind one of his ears.

He felt like he was melting.

It was like the worst itch of his life was finally getting the attention it deserved.

It was only through sheer strength of will that he was able to stop himself just short of purring.

The look in Haru's eyes had definitely changed into a challenge.

He jerked back to attention with a sharp cough.

"Mrs. Moon, I'm afraid I'll have to bodyguard your daughter for a while, for when the Cat King returns."

The older redhead nodded tiredly, and drew her shawl closer, her husband on her lap. She sighed.

"This feud is just getting ridiculous, now."

Haru humphed.

"It was ridiculous from the beginning. Baron and I can pretty much kiss our personal lives goodbye. Not that I had one to begin with." She looked at him. "You?"

"Not really." He sighed, and stood up. "I'm going to get a weapon or two from my manor. I'll find her here?"

All three women nodded; Hiromi still scratching her twin's ear. Baron turned toward the door.

About a foot away from his destination, he and Haru suddenly yelped painfully, holding their chests. Baron locked eyes with her, taking back the last foot or so of space. The pain immediately ceased. Haru covered her mouth with one hand.

"Oh, no."

Hiromi looked at her.

"What's wrong, Snow?"

Baron knew. He fought hard not to blush, wondering if his new fur could disguise the action.

"I think the spell over both of us won't allow too much space between Miss Haru and myself."

Her mother suddenly flared, jumping from her chair next to her little fire, making her husband howl as he fell to the floor.

"Hold on! You two are going to have to stay within twenty feet of each other at _all_ times?!"

Her daughter and landlord nodded their heads, realizing all the complications this would mean. Hiromi struggled to suppress her mirth.

'_To think; everyone thought __**I'd**__ be the first twin married! How else are they going to pull off this arrangement without scandal?'_


	7. The Housemates

Extra

Chapter Seven: The Housemates

"Hey, did you hear about the poor landlord?"

The baker nodded sadly at his customer while handing him the requested bread loaves.

"He got hexed good his first day here, and can't stay too far away from Haru Moon on pain of death. As if permanently becoming a half-cat wasn't bad enough."

The man nodded as he paid for the wares.

"I heard that he convinced her whole family to move into his manor with him, since they both refuse to be left alone together, at least until a marriage happens, and the girls' homes were too small for him to move in with them."

The baker shook his head pityingly.

"Well, it'd be tough for him to marry anyone else, if he has to have that cat witch close by at all times. It's sad. I heard he was a good fellow, too."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The slim half-cat shifted slightly in her sleep, someone nudging her shoulder.

"Haru," Baron whispered. "Code B."

Her eyes shot open, and she slipped out of her cot to follow him down the hallway. Leaning against on the wall right next to the bathroom, and waited.

It was embarrassing enough to have to tell someone about your more delicate body functions, let alone to a non-related member of the opposite gender, so the two half-cats had devised a system of code words, so they wouldn't actually have to say the things aloud, but still get the idea across.

Baron exited the bathroom, and leaned on the opposite wall of the door while she went in, as long as they were up.

Everything was a challenge. Well, a lot of it was. Haru had always been a bit independent, so considering Baron's movements was often a bother. And he liked being alone at least as much as she did, so they often settled for ignoring each other when they wanted to be alone. But talking was always fun too. Bathing and dressing weren't much trouble, since the two usually stuck to the smaller bathroom that allowed one of them to camp out in the hallway with a book or something. Haru tried hard not to flaunt her magical abilities in front of the handsome tomcat, although he needed her help with adjusting his wardrobe to accommodate his tail. Haru's own wardrobe wasn't affected at all, since she wore skirts.

What was harder was sleeping. Naoko used the small amount of magic still left to her to make a large sheet that could divide the equally large room in half. Baron slept on one side, and the girls slept on the other side. They were only allowed to cross the barrier when a night emergency happened. Muta had gone off on some top secret mission the day the two became cursed, and hadn't returned since then. His family wasn't too worried; knowing that he could take care of himself. Baron nodded at her gratefully before going into his side of the curtain, Haru yawning loudly as she slipped back into her little bed.

Her mother and sister hadn't even noticed that she had been gone. She wondered how much longer it would take the Cat King to figure out her newest predicament. He would probably claw his eyes out with jealousy for Baron's position with her.

She fell back asleep with an evil smile.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Duke looked at the piece of paper in his hand, certain that he was on the right route.

Life without his little brother to pick on had become unbearably dull, so the dark man decided to pay a surprise visit, and find out what his twin had been keeping himself occupied with. Finally, the manor came into sight, easing his slightly troubled mind. Baron never got lost, but Duke could sometimes get into some pretty questionable predicaments.

But, the directions had been clear enough, this time. He smiled, folding the paper into his inside breast pocket, and approached the front door with confidence. That was his big secret; if he always acted like he knew what he was doing, he could fool the world. He rang the doorbell, and waited.

"I'll get it!" a voice called from within. Duke frowned, since servants usually didn't call out things like that. The door opened to reveal a petite red head. She stared at him, but the dark man was used to such attention from females, and she _was_ rather fetching. He tipped his hat for her.

"Good afternoon, miss. Would this be the residence of my brother, Baron von Gikkingen?"

The girl broke from her trance and nodded.

"Yeah… did your father get the letter yet?"

He blinked at her. She sighed.

"I guess that's a no. You better come in."

He followed her through the door, slightly disappointed that his brother hadn't gotten further with the unpacking. It still looked like he was decorating the place.

"Was there something significant about the sent letter?" he asked the girl, putting his coat and hat next to his brother's on the stand next to the front door. She nervously put one hand behind her head.

"Yeah; it was pretty significant. Baron got cursed, his first day here."

Duke's hands twitched violently.

"What happened?"

She sighed tiredly.

"Long story short, he tried to help my sister get rid of an unwanted suitor and got burned for interfering. But he's still trying to help her."

Duke laughed.

"That's Baron for you. What was the curse?"

The redhead bit her lip, looking at him a little fearfully. She took a deep breath and spat it out.

"He's a half-cat, and so is my sister. The spell was supposed to turn one person into a full-cat, but since both of them got hit, they can't stray farther than twenty feet from each other, and the spell's permanent."

Duke's eyebrows shot up, wondering if she was joshing him.

"Show me."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron passed up a few books to Haru, who was standing on a moving ladder attached to the walls of the library. She neatly placed the books on the higher shelves, wondering just how many books the man had.

To be truthful, he didn't ask her family to help him finish moving in, but considering the fact that he was a half-cat because of her, he deserved a little retribution, and the Moon and Sun girls were never ones to sit idly by when there was work to do.

"How many more crates, Baron?"

"For this room, only one more after this."

She laughed, placing more books on the higher shelves before moving downward.

"You weren't kidding, when you talked about your studies."

"Well, you weren't kidding when you said you worked like a dog. Some of those magic exercises look painful."

"So do your fencing ones. In between us, there won't be much left of the Cat King, when we're done playing with him."

The door burst open, making them look towards it instead of each other. Although Haru had never seen Baron's twin before, he was impossible to mistake. The dark suited man stared at them, his eyes getting bigger and bigger. Hiromi nervously poked her head in at them, a light laugh on her lips.

"He didn't believe me."


	8. Muta's Sacrifice

Extra

Chapter Eight: Muta's Sacrifice

Baron bit into his cookie, chewed it, and then sighed.

"Feel free to stop staring any time now, Brother."

Duke blinked, and looked down; a little embarrassed at his actions for once.

"My apologies, but… nothing like this has ever happened in the family before."

Baron shrugged, fingering the edges of his teacup.

"Actually, I'm starting to enjoy it. Cats have certain physical qualities that humans don't, but are very useful nonetheless."

"I second that," Haru said, biting into her ham and cheese sandwich. "I haven't had a single klutz attack since becoming part cat."

"Plus they have this really cool feature," Hiromi continued, scratching her sister's ear to make her purr. Duke got a really strange look on his face, and slowly turned his eyes back to his twin, who was struggling not to laugh. However, the tawny half-cat grimaced at his darker twin, who started to raise his own hand.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't scratch my ear. I have the ability to purr, but not the inclination."

Duke immediately lowered his hand as Haru stopped purring, her eyes serious.

"I don't get it. The king must have noticed by now that I haven't been near my home in a month. He hasn't left me alone for this long since before he knew I existed; why hasn't he made a move by now?"

Duke looked at her.

"Wait; the unwanted suitor is a king?"

Haru groaned at his ignorance, and flicked her arm once. An image appeared over Baron's tea set, of a greasy longhair decorated with gold. He seemed to leer at everyone looking at the memory image.

"_Come on, babe. Being __**my**__ queen wouldn't be all __**that**__ bad. I'll give you everything your heart desires, if you do the same for me."_

The dark youth shuddered, seeing her point.

"I guess that explains why he sent a cat curse."

Haru nodded grimly as she made the memory fade.

'_He could never give me what my heart desires, anyway.'_

Duke stared at her, after the image faded.

"You're a witch? As in a broomstick-riding witch?"

Naoko scoffed.

"Broomsticks are reserved for special occasions. It's a little hard to keep the home clean if we had to use the broom every time we had to get anywhere far."

Haru sipped her tea while a slightly foolish grin crossed her lips.

"It's way more fun to just ride the wind, anyway."

Hiromi shuddered.

"Says you. At least I have something to hold onto, when I use the broom."

Baron looked up from his tea, more than just a little surprised.

"You never mentioned this before, Haru."

The dark witch shrugged nonchalantly.

"It wasn't important. If I couldn't fly, the Cat King would have permanently carried me off by now."

Baron thought about that. He had never thought of flying as something humans could do, but the fact that Haru could was intriguing. He was about to ask what it was like when they heard a scratching at the door.

"It's me, Muta!"

Hiromi got up and let her father in. But instead of the sleek and slim cat that Baron remembered, a large round butterball waddled in, only recognizable by the color of his fur. He was groaning terribly.

Naoko slipped out of her seat immediately and wrapped him in her arms.

"What have you done to yourself, love?!"

"I punished the kingdom for what the king did to our daughter and Baron. Could you direct a little magic at my stomach? It's not used to taking this kind of abuse."

Since her mother wasn't the witch she once was, for using so much magic and life force trying to return her husband to his former state, Haru got out of her chair and started rubbing her father's now ample stomach, blue sparks dissolving into his fur. Muta gave a sigh of relief.

Duke looked at his brother in shock.

"Is…that…"

Baron nodded gravely.

"Haru's father is also a victim of the curse that afflicts Haru and I, but he got the full load of it on his own, years ago."

Duke sighed with relief, strangely relieved.

"Thank heaven! I thought he was a real cat." It would have made a very strange wedding for the twin's parents, if the groom had originally been a cat.

"Father, what did you do?" Hiromi asked, also kneeling next to the cat.

"I ate all the fish in their sea."

Haru blinked, not quite believing that he had pulled off the deed.

"You call that a punishment?" she asked, a little skeptic. Muta growled a little tiredly at her.

"Look at it through feline eyes, Chicky. Cats are lazy, and their weakness is the stomach. Believe me; they're paying."

Baron stood up, deep concern evident in his features.

"But why punish the entire kingdom for what their king did? I thought we were trying to keep this as private as possible."

Muta humphed.

"This has been going on for long enough. Besides, I've had the Cat Kingdom in such an uproar that the king hasn't had the time to think about what Haru's up to." He sighed, curling up on his wife's lap as she pulled a face at his new weight. "He'll eventually start thinking about her again, but at least I bought us some time to think about the next move."

Haru buried her face into his soft fur.

"Father…" Suddenly, she stopped speaking; her eyes wide with shock. "You just took away their main supply of food."

He grunted affirmingly.

"That means the Cat Kingdom's going to have a food famine, possibly for several years while they try to build up the fish population. Many will probably starve."

He nodded again, realizing that. Haru stood up and did a victory punch into the air.

"I love you, Father! This is perfect!"

Baron stared at her, horrified at her joy.

"Haru! That is not something to be happy about!"

She turned back to the orange cat, a gleeful smile on her face.

"Yes it is. No one will starve. The Cat King will have no choice but to hear me this time."

He cocked his head at her, wondering what she was planning.


	9. Haru's Offer

Extra

Chapter Nine: Haru's Offer

Natori slammed down the fresh batch of written protests. He panted slightly, actually glaring at his ruler.

"I _knew_ something like this would happen, if you didn't leave that witch alone."

The king growled, trying to ignore his advisor for once. He didn't have time to think about whose fault the famine was. Haru's father had decimated the main food supply, and many subjects were blaming the king for the deaths from starvation that would likely follow.

He had changed the man into a cat for literally kicking him out of the way years before, but the king didn't think that he would ever regret punishing Renaldo Moon.

His stomach started rumbling, but the castle had already polished off all of the food they had thought to store before Renaldo Moon attacked. And the food trains that were still being called out for any resulting food were a week away, at least.

Suddenly, his throne became immersed in darkness. The Cat King looked at his chair, knowing that the trademark was Haru's. When the darkness faded, a letter was left on the seat. Puzzled, the king walked over to the chair and used a claw to open the letter.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Cat King-_

_I have the understanding that my father has taken away your main food supply. I guess he got bored with his diet._

_To cut off any foolishness you might be thinking of, I'll cut to the chase; you have a great need of an alternate food source until you can build back your fish supply. I have access to a food supply, larger than even your palace can hold (I'm still angry about the time you managed to take me there six months ago, and I hope you're still rebuilding the damage I did to it). I have given it a good looking over, and it is enough to at least tide over your people for roughly five years, as long as my father doesn't acquire a taste for them. That should be enough to get your kingdom back on its paws._

_You know I'm not the type to surrender such a treasure without payment. I think you know what I want. Before any agreement is made, I want to hear you personally say that you will stop pursuing me, and make a blood oath on it. Oh, and my father can't be prosecuted for what he did. You won't find me at my home. I'll be at my new landlord's place. I know you know where that is, because I am looking at the aftermath of the regards you sent him right now._

_Sorry, but he's enjoying it, and so am I, frankly. I completely expect you to show up momentarily._

_Haru_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King looked up from the delicate handwriting, his breathing labored.

"Majesty?" Natori asked.

"Haru says she can fix what her old man did, but I can't pursue her anymore if I want her to do it."

The old gray cat walked up to his monarch.

"Your Majesty, even I know Haru Moon is a witch of her word. Please sire; your people need food more than you need a bride. And they _will_ revolt if you don't take her offer."

The king slammed one paw down on the table, knowing that his advisor was right. His eyes began to tear up, thinking of all the effort he had put forward on her behalf. After a year of trying to get her to even look at him without contempt, he'd have to give her up, just to be able to keep what he already had.

This just wasn't fair.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru sipped at her tea, a smile appearing as usual. She loved the lord's personal blend with a passion.

"Dang; I wish my tea could taste like this," she said dreamily.

Baron smiled warmly at her for the compliment, which had made his heart skip a beat. She never said what her tea tasted like specifically, but he took her addiction to be an excellent sign of her good heart.

'_Blast it; why does she have to be so adorable?!' _"Do you think the king will come soon?" he asked, to keep his mind on track.

"Depends on how much talking Natori has to do, to convince him to give me up. He has a good head on his shoulders, and the king _does_ love his people, underneath it all, so it shouldn't be too much longer."

Hiromi sipped at her tea again, loving the sunshine-like taste. Her ear was locked on the door, hoping to hear some meows soon.

Blue light flooded the parlor; a hole appearing on the side of the wall as the king came with his two favorite lackeys. For once, he was walking (he claimed it was for exercise, but it was really because the tiger cats that usually hauled it, along with all of his other subjects, were going on strike until the king accepted Haru's conditions, just in case he got tempted to back down from the witch's offer). The king stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening at her new cat-like appearance. Haru's smile faded, and she set her teacup down.

"I take it you agree to my conditions?"

He kept staring at her, entranced. She growled.

"Are you going to stop chasing me to save your country, or are you going to let them starve?!"

That broke him out of his trance. He looked down, glaring at the floor to stay focused.

"Yes, I'll leave you alone. What happened to you?"

"The surprise you intended for Baron accidentally split with me." She made a crystal blade appear in one hand as she walked over to him, and knelt down; Baron trailing her for obvious reasons. She held her hand out. Slowly, the Cat King put his arm in her hand. She pricked his hide with the blade, making him yelp as blood began to drip. A glitter of triumph became present in the brunette's eyes.

"You know what I want to hear."

He nearly started crying.

"I… King Phoebus of the Cat Kingdom… do swear… to… never… pursue Haru Moon again, for the remainder of our lifetimes. "

"And?" she asked, twisting his arm slightly. He grimaced.

"... and I will… never approach her again. I will disappear from her life. Also, her father, Renaldo Moon, will not be prosecuted for his deeds." His blood turned black, and fled back inside the wound, which closed by itself to leave an ugly black scar. Satisfied, Haru dropped his arm, and stood up.

"Now that you've held your end of the bargain, it's my turn. Please open up a portal to your world; somewhere everyone in the kingdom could get to."

Rubbing his arm, the Cat King focused, and made a large portal appear.

"Could you tilt it back a bit?"

The king did so, wondering what she was about to do. Her eyes clouded over with black ink, and a second portal appeared, as black as her eyes were now. A flood of squeaking gray bodies fell out of the portal, into the blue one it was hovering over. The king's eyes widened in amazement; wondering how she had gotten her hands on so many mice. There seemed to be no end to them.

Hiromi shuddered with revulsion.

"Okay, so putting the king's gift mice in a safe place instead of killing them _was_ a better idea."

The king blinked in astonishment.

"All the gift mice could have been accounted for five minutes ago. Where did all of these come from?"

Haru shrugged, still concentrating.

"I've been sending your gifts to a special place. There's limitless food and space for them, and no predators, so their numbers have been going unchecked. Plus Baron and I did some looking around for more, after Father told us what he did." Closing her eyes, the dark portal closed as well. "That should be enough to last for a few years. I'm keeping some back for breeding stock. When you need more, send someone besides you to ask for it."

The Cat King bowed in gratitude, still hurting that he had been forced to let the girl go.

"Thanks a lot, babe," he mumbled before also hopping into his portal, the two lackeys soon following him as the blue light faded.

Baron fought his urge to purr once more.

'_Haru was right; making him do this was __**much**_ _better than what we had originally planned for him.'_


	10. A Happily Ever After

Extra

Chapter Ten: A Happily Ever After

Baron looked over at Haru the day after the confrontation with the Cat King, as she quietly made notes in her mother's spell and charm book. He set his alchemy book down, and tried to gain the needed courage.

"Haru?"

She looked up from the thick book.

"Yes?"

"You know how you said that you can fly without a broom?"

She cocked her head at him.

"Yes."

"What is it like, up there? What is it like, to race the wind?"

The brunette stared at her companion, trying to think of a way to describe it. She hadn't flown since the day before they met, and she had thought it was selfish of her to drag him along on a joy ride. She looked at him carefully, noting the longing in his eyes. Did he have the right temperament?

"Would you like to find out for yourself?" she asked softly. Her companion didn't say anything, but she could clearly see the answer in his eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hiromi held her little basket closer, to make sure that the groceries didn't fall out. She didn't mind having to do all the errands into town, since everyone there adored her. She just wished that they could see that her sister was just as cool.

When she was about ten feet away from the front door of the manor, it burst open. A very angry Duke stepped out and took the basket from her.

"Can you do something about your sister?!"

She blinked at him.

"What's she doing?"

"She's stealing my light!"

If Hiromi wasn't a twin herself, she wouldn't have understood what he meant. He pointed upwards, and she saw the two half-cats doing circles around a cloud to get it to change shape. They were firmly holding hands, since Baron would have dropped like a rock without Haru's assistance. Was that their laughter, in the air?

She looked back at Duke and grinned.

"It looks to me like your light is stealing my dark. When you can control your twin, I'll do the same."

His shoulders sagged a bit, realizing how impossible the task was. He glared up at the two figures as he opened the door for Hiromi.

"I guess I should be happy for him. He's never been one to go after a girl."

Hiromi stared at him.

"Snow got hurt badly by a boy when we were younger, so I'm impressed that she's willing to take one flying with her, even if she can't do it without him anymore."

Duke shuddered.

"No offense, but you couldn't get **me** up there. I like to have solid ground underneath my feet; thanks all the same."

Hiromi laughed.

"It took a solid month for Snow to get me to go above a tree, and I still don't like flying, with or without a broom. Good thing there's more to life than magic."

The dark youth had to smile.

"Such a comment from a witch?"

The redhead shrugged.

"I've never been a good one. I like having fun too much. Snow can _have_ the magic in the family; I'm satisfied with everything else."

His blue eyes lit up further.

"I feel the same. Baron's always so _serious_; I swear when we were born, he looked around the room and frowned in worry. He doesn't know how to have fun, or he's afraid to try it; he's too busy studying or fencing."

Hiromi looked out the window, wondering when the other two would come down. She had suspected that Baron and Haru would wind up together, but actually seeing it happen hurt her a little. Snow had always been _hers_, and hers alone. She knew she should feel ashamed for thinking this, but she was partially grateful that the village was ignorant as to what a great person her dark twin was. If they fully realized what a treasure she was, then she wouldn't have been able to keep Snow to herself, and they might not like the light twin as much.

The townspeople may like her better and come to her with their problems, but Haru's the one that could help them. They needed her dark half, but wouldn't admit it to save their lives.

They were lucky, that the Cat King made Haru's eventual departure impossible. Hiromi could never do a third of what they expected from a witch, and they wouldn't like her as much, if she was all they had for a witch.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru gently floated back to the ground, her hand hurting a little from Baron's strong grip. He moved his feet around to find his bearings; his eyes alight in a way she didn't see too often.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked him.

Instead of answering, the orange cat suddenly embraced her hard. For the first time since getting cursed, she heard his purr. She laughed lightly; finding the sound to be very much to her liking. She hugged him back, suddenly seeing her father over Baron's firm shoulder. He looked like he wanted to get angry, but couldn't muster up the enthusiasm for it. He was breathing heavily as tears squeezed past his guard, looking at her. The brunette grinned warmly at him, pointedly tightening her grip on Baron.

That was the final straw for the cat. Shameless tears started rolling down his face, and he nodded slightly, giving his consent. She smiled brighter, and tightened her hold again. With each time she had increased the pressure, the orange cat had equaled it, clearly saying that he wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

She didn't mind much; now that she had seen him pass the aerial test flawlessly, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that even if they weren't bound together, they would have chosen to be.

'_I'll wait, Baron. I'll wait until you're ready to ask. And I will accept.'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Eventually, when the Baron von Gikkingen decided that they had known each other long enough for propriety's sake, he did ask Haru Moon to be his wife. This caused great joy in both their families, not just for the couple's happiness, but for the fact that the rest of them would be able to have their own sleeping chambers and lives again, and leave the two to worry about their curse.

After Duke von Gikkingen took Hiromi Sun to be his wife, having found someone he could flawlessly communicate with, they moved back to Duke's estate. Baron's people complained bitterly about the loss, but slowly grew to realize that Haru wasn't as grim as they had thought her to be, for the witch could smile much easier, always having her husband close by. Eventually, they even started ignoring the fact that the landlord and his wife were part cat.

The Cat King died a week after making his oath, and King Lune had proven himself to be a capable ruler. The only times he bothered Haru was to ask for more mice or when he and his wife wished to just talk.

Haru did eventually find what her heart desired. And she saw it, whenever she looked into Baron's eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lots of love to; InkyManipulation, Watersoul the Head Star Walker, Lanari, Kittydemon18, EarthGurdian, QuickStar, reddevil1120, Elvin Magi, and Thundercat for the great reviews.

I hope that everyone enjoyed this story. Sorry about not including the wedding scene. More stories on the way!

YarningChick


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